Guests of many travel facilities such as hotels or other lodging facilities as well as transportation depots such as airports, train stations, and bus stations consider Internet access to be more than an amenity. Many business travelers work while traveling and view Internet access as an important factor in their ability to work while away from the office. They use the Internet to complete work assignments as well as to communicate with their home offices. They may also use it to communicate with their family members back home. Leisure travelers also frequently use Internet access services while traveling. They may use the Internet to plan daily activities or to stay in contact with business colleagues as well as other family members not participating in the vacation. Many guests further use the Internet for entertainment while traveling such as for accessing online games or downloading videos and music. For all guests, the availability of Internet access service, and in particular high-speed Internet access service, is an important consideration when selecting certain facilities such as hotels or other lodging. The availability of fast and reliable Internet access service can influence their decision to select one facility over another.
In addition to expecting fast and reliable service, guests want an Internet access service that is convenient and easy-to-use. Guests need to be able to connect quickly to the Internet without the need to modify or reconfigure their computers to establish the connection or without the need to create and maintain different user accounts that support access to the Internet. Methods for accessing an Internet connection, however, can vary depending upon the type of network or service used by a facility to initiate and support such connections. For example, in the overnight lodging industry, connection methods can vary not only across hotels' brands that are part of the same chain, but even across hotels of the same brand because of differences in the Internet access service offered by each individual hotel.
For many guests, part of an Internet access service that is convenient and easy-to-use includes convenience when paying for Internet access services. For travel facilities that offer many services such as hotels, Internet access service is considered just one of the many amenities. As a result, guests expect to be able to use and pay for the service in the same manner they use and pay for other hotel services such as room service, entertainment services, or health club services. They should be able to request the service and then pay for it using one of several payment methods such as adding the service to a room bill or charging it to a credit card.
Although hotel guests today have specific expectations about the Internet access services, meeting those expectations can be difficult. Different systems may be deployed within a facility or across facilities to provide specific features and functionality. The manner in which systems are interconnected and communicate with each other can have an impact on the Internet access service for guests. As a result, there may be differences in the way services are provisioned and subsequently accessed by a guest. For example, within a hotel chain a guest may see different access service interfaces for the same brand of hotel. Account creation and authentication processes may differ and some hotels within the chain may offer a charge-to-room service while others do not. Finally, wireless connection services may differ between hotels with respect to location, payment options, etc.
Problems that compromise the guest experience such as variability in interface, location, and payment options can be reduced by implementing a solution that allows for more customization and control over the services provided by the guest facility. Providing seamless Internet access services within a single facility as well as across facilities within a brand or a chain requires consistency in the features and functionality that are offered. There is a need for an Internet access service across one or more guest facilities that provides guests with a consistent provisioning experience. There is a need for an Internet access service across one or more guest facilities that provides guests with a consistent access experience after provisioning services. There is a need for an improved system and method for providing Internet access services to guests across one or more facilities.